Molecular Detection of <i>Acarapis woodi</i> Using Hive Debris as Innovative and Non-Invasive Matrix
<i>Acarapis woodi</i> is a pathogen affecting honey bees health worldwide. Its prevalence may be underestimated due to the time-consuming traditional method for its diagnosis and the attitude in focusing the attention only onto <i>Varroa destructor</i>. New PCR techniques hav...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Applied Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/6/2837 |
| Summary: | <i>Acarapis woodi</i> is a pathogen affecting honey bees health worldwide. Its prevalence may be underestimated due to the time-consuming traditional method for its diagnosis and the attitude in focusing the attention only onto <i>Varroa destructor</i>. New PCR techniques have allowed for the verification of the presence of <i>A. woodi</i> in 44 samples of honey bees and 11 samples of hive debris collected from 17 apiaries by the veterinary services of the Latium region (Central Italy). Overall, 9.1% of adult honey bee samples (all belonging to one apiary) and 6.3% of hive debris samples (belonging to 6 apiaries) were positive in an end point PCR and presence of the pathogen was confirmed through Sanger sequencing. Results demonstrated the potential underestimation of <i>A. woodi</i> occurrence in Italian apiaries and reported the first detection of <i>A. woodi</i> in hive debris samples. |
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| ISSN: | 2076-3417 |